Sir,
I was saddened to read the article ‘The battle for a literary genius’ by Elias Hazou (Sunday Mail, September 16, 2007). I first met Patroklos Stavrou in 1977 while visiting the President, Archbishop Makarios. He impressed me as an intelligent and studious person. I was amazed at his political astuteness and his complete devotion to the President and Cyprus.

THE NEWLY launched ferry service between occupied Famagusta and Latakia in Syria will be discussed at a meeting today between the Cypriot and Syrian Foreign Ministers, the government said yesterday.

Nicosia says it still isn’t satisfied with explanations from Syria about the ferry trip, which was launched last Saturday and is expected to commence services from October 12.

FOREIGN housemaids are to receive a pay increase of ten per cent this year and a further ten per cent increase next year but will have more restrictions when it comes to terms of employment, Interior Minister Christos Patsalides said yesterday.

The proposal will be given to the cabinet next week for approval, he said.

THE MUKHTAR of a Limassol district village has hit back at claims of discrimination, after a local resident complained about the frequent water cuts.

Briton Christopher Hemmant, who lives in Souni, told the Mail that over the past five weeks, there has only been one weekend where residents have had water for two consecutive days.

SCHOOL CANTEENS are so rarely checked by the Health Services that according to some estimates, one canteen is checked every six years.

POLICE suspect a Nicosia taxi driver to be the mastermind behind a ring selling fake work visas to southeast Asian nationals.

On Monday police arrested and detained two Vietnamese women on suspicion of circulating and selling fake entry visas.

A LONG-serving employee of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (EAC) is under investigation for potential conflict of interest after the authority learnt his wife was connected to a construction company that has won a number of tenders for EAC projects.

HUMAN ERROR was yesterday blamed for the collapse of a roof at Larnaca Airport last august.

Alecos Michaelides, the head of the Communications Ministry’s Public Works Department, was yesterday invited to the House Communications Committee to offer an explanation on the sudden accident, which resulted in the injury of three foreign workers.